McDermott takes over at Iowa State

Ames, IA (Sports Network) – Greg McDermott, who lifted Northern Iowa’s
basketball program to prominence with NCAA Tournament berths the last three
seasons, was named head coach at Iowa State on Tuesday.

The move comes less than a week after Iowa State fired Wayne Morgan, who had
recorded a 55-39 overall mark in three seasons with the Cyclones.

McDermott had coached for the last five years at his alma mater and posted a
record of 90-63 at Northern Iowa. It was an incredible transformation for that
program, as UNI captured the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament title in
2004. This past season, Northern Iowa attained its first-ever top 25 ranking
while tying a school record with 23 victories before bowing out to Georgetown
in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

“It’s simply a dream come true to have the opportunity to assume the reins of
a program that has the reputation and resources of Iowa State University,”
McDermott said. “Staying in this state – close to family and friends- was a
bonus.”

The 41-year-old McDermott received his first head coaching job at Wayne State
(Neb.) from 1995-2000. He led the Wildcats to four straight 20-win seasons
and a pair of NCAA Division II Tournament appearances, including a Sweet 16
berth in 2000. He won 116 games in his six years with the Wildcats.

Iowa State failed to qualify for postseason play this year after finishing
with a disappointing 16-14 mark. The Cyclones were ranked No. 25 nationally
in the preseason. The removal of Morgan came just days after a damning report
involving recruiting violations.

Morgan’s program is suspected of illegally funneling money to a California
business run by a high-profile junior college coach in exchange for players
committing to the University.